This invention relates to solar dynamic conversion systems as an energy source for high power spacecraft, such as in a space station.
Large parabolic and cassegrainian dish concentrators, which have been proposed for concentrating sunlight onto heat receivers, have manufacturing and packaging problems.
The purpose of this invention is to provide solar conversion systems with a high concentration of solar flux into a solar receiver through the use of an optical system comprising a Fresnel arrangement of cylindrical parabolic, cylindrical hyperbolic, and flat reflector strips. Such a system will hereafter be referred to as a "point focus solar concentrator".
The advantages of using cylindrical rather than dish shaped parabolic mirrors are that (1) they are easier to form and polish since they have a simple curvature, (2) are easier to stack and package into cylindrical launch envelopes, such as the Space shuttle Payload bay, (3) and provide a relatively flat surface for placing a coating for the reflectors. In those point focus solar concentrators that use flat reflector strips, such strips can be easily manufactured from flat metal or glass strips.
It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a point focus solar concentrator which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and is capable of providing high concentration of solar flux onto a heat receiver and which is easy to manufacture and package.